Hospital apologises for injuries girl, now 8, received at birth

Waterford Regional Hospital has apologised to an eight-year-old girl with quadriplegia and cerebral palsy for injuries she received at her birth.

The High Court has approved a partial settlement of €1.4m damages to Alex Butler of Kilmacleague in Dunmore East who sued the Health Service Executive (HSE) through her mother Sonya Butler.

Her care needs will be assessed again in two-years time.

Her lawyers claimed the locum Consultant Obstetrician who carried out an instrumental delivery was 'not fit to be in charge of the ward'.

Liam Reidy, SC, also told the court that the ethos in the hospital meant that even when the lead midwife had concerns she could not phone any of the obstetricians while they were on holiday.

Baby Alex was in the wrong position in the womb for the final 10-12 minutes before her birth. She was delivered with a cord around her neck and had to be immediately incubated.

It was part of her mother's case against the HSE that there were unnecessary medical delays in carrying out the delivery.

In an apology read out to the court, Waterford Regional Hospital accepted Alex's injuries should not have happened and they said they 'sincerely regret the tragic consequences their failings have caused'.

Outside court Sonya Butler told reporters her daughter Alex has been amazing but 'she deserves so much more'.

She added: "We're happy with the outcome of today and we look forward to coming back and finishing it at a later date."